


Not Too Late

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force-Sensitive Poe Dameron, Knights of the Old Republic vibes, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, Lightsaber Battles, M/M, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, suicidal kylo ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 01:03:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: Poe faces Kylo Ren on the battlefield.





	Not Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Future Fic
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: In which I shamelessly semi-rip-off Knights of the Old Republic (Poe has elements of Carth and Revan here, Kylo has elements of Bastila and Revan). Also, Force Sensitive Poe was taken from an offhand line in one of the Poe Dameron comics that got gears whirring. Title taken from “Never Too Late” by Three Days Grace.

Poe couldn’t say how long he had been dreading this. The showdown with Kylo Ren. Rey had trained him well in what Force abilities he had, but it wasn’t the idea that Kylo could beat him in combat like poor Finn that scared Poe. It was the idea of killing him. It was kriffed up, but even after what Ben had done to him, he still loved him. It was something that refused to go away, a desire to tear him apart combined with a desire to help him, if only for what they shared.   
  
They met on the battlefield, Kylo’s lightsaber crackling like it was about to explode. Poe was the first one to speak, after that whole who-talks-first debate raging in his head. “So you killed Snoke,” he said. “Somehow...I always knew you would.”  
  
“Did you?”   
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“And you’re a Jedi. I know you always wanted to be.” If Poe didn’t know better, he swore there was some sort of compliment in Kylo’s voice. Uncanny. It was like Kylo really could change on a credit — going from sadistic to praising in one breath.   
  
“Yeah.” Poe sighed as he spoke. “I did.” Then, “I had to come. I promised long ago that I would protect you, Ben. Even from yourself.”  
  
“Ben Solo deserves to be dead,” Kylo said.  
  
“No. No, he doesn’t. And I know he’s not dead. I know there’s a part of him that still lives in you. A part that still believes in goodness. In beauty. I know it still lives. I know what happened to you, Ben. And I know it wasn’t fair.”  
  
“It’s too late.”  
  
“No. No, it isn’t. Stand down, Ben. You can stop this. I know Palpatine began it, along with Snoke. You can end it.”  
  
“I won’t fail again.”  
  
They fought. Poe was still new to wielding his lightsaber (an orange one, initially green for the Jedi Consular), but Kylo was getting tired. Poe could feel it. He wasn’t really thinking of hurting Kylo — just wearing him down, just enough.   
  
Their lightsabers struggled.   
  
It was an accident that Kylo’s broke apart. That Kylo lost his hand. Even staring at his prone opponent, the man he still loved, Poe couldn’t help but stare in horror before extending a hand.   
  
“I’m sorry, Kylo. I’m so sorry,” Poe said. “But please...just stop this. Please.”  
  
“I couldn’t have come this way to fail.”  
  
“In a way, you already did. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Poe took a deep breath. “But...the moment you left me on Yavin, you already failed.”  
  
“I did. I never...wanted to hurt you either, Poe...”  
  
And it was in that moment that Kylo Ren’s eyes cleared, almost like he was coming back to reality for the first time. Poe wondered, absently, how long it had been since he had been back in reality, so to speak. Then, “It’s too late, Poe.”  
  
“Don’t say that.”  
  
“I’m everything that my parents thought I was. So help me, I was broken from the start...” The way that Kylo talked, he seemed to be remembering too many unpleasant things. Too many things he’d been (most likely unintentionally) told from his childhood, for example. He was remembering all of them, most likely thinking they were right.   
  
“No. You’re not.”  
  
“Poe...if you value the galaxy, you’ll kill me. Right where I stand. Before I do any more damage.”  
  
Poe’s hand shook. The man before him looked so pitiable, so very lost. Killing him — it wouldn’t even be satisfying. It would be like fighting someone who couldn’t fight back. Killing someone who couldn’t fight back.   
  
Maybe other Resistance members could do it. Harsher, more grizzled Resistance members with poisoned hearts. But not Poe. He was Poe Dameron, and he wasn’t about to kill a helpless man, let alone a man he loved.   
  
He hated what Ben Solo had done. But he would never give up on Ben himself.   
  
“I won’t,” Poe said. “It’s not what I do. Besides, even if it was, I never could.”  
  
“I killed so many people.”  
  
“So did I.” The deaths in the Dreadnaught mission still weighed on Poe’s mind.   
  
“But you — your intentions were good. Mine weren’t.”  
  
Poe took a deep breath. “Ben...I’m not going to kill you. I never could. You were my friend. More than that, actually.”  
  
Kylo looked at him, slowly taking it in.   
  
Poe continued. “You could have seen it earlier. If you hadn’t chosen to ignore it. To disbelieve it. To keep it locked away.”  
  
“Is there still a place for me, in your future?" Kylo sounded so very vulnerable.   
  
“There always was. Why do you think I wore this, after all these years?”  
  
Poe cradled the ring in his hand, still on its chain. Kylo froze, seeming almost transfixed on it.   
  
“You wanted to marry me?”  
  
Poe nodded. “It’s kriffed, isn’t it? Even after all this time, I didn’t know whether to kill you or kiss you.”  
  
“If you ask, I will,” Kylo said. “Because...I know I’m not worthy of it. But I love you too. More than I could ever love myself.”  
  
“Then come with me. We still have work to do.” Poe’s face was set in a grim line. “We still have a certain Emperor to deal with."  
  
He watched as Kylo, slowly, nodded.   
  
“Yes,” he said. “We do.”


End file.
